Via launches tiny quad-core x86 EPIA-P910 board

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The number of hardware options available for your next minuscule, PC-powered DIY project has expanded rapidly over the past few months. The ultra-cheap Raspberry Pi maintains its position as the standard bearer, but other boards like the ODROID-X and Cubieboard have popped up with different processor and port options. Now, Via’s offering up another option: the Pico-ITX Epia-P910.

It’s slightly larger than the Raspberry Pi (by about two centimeters), and there’s one major difference between the P910 and the others: it’s not built around ARM architecture. Via’s chips are x86 compatible, which makes the P910 capable of running just about any OS you can imagine — from Windows 8 to OS X and Android. It’s also got four cores clocked at 1GHz and a DirectX 11-compatible Chromotion 640 GPU that’s capable of pumping out 3D and 1080p content “flawlessly,” according to Via.

Via’s also laid the P910 out like a traditional PC mainboard, with dual USB ports, Ethernet, VGA, and HDMI — and a pair of SATA ports. There’s also an optional expansion board that can be snapped in to add PS/2 ports, six more USB 2.0, two USB 3.0 ports, and audio jacks. In addition to your own internal storage, you’ll also need to bring your own RAM (unlike the ARM devices).

And what about the all-important sticker price? Via hasn’t revealed that yet, but with the P910 aimed at embedded systems for use in medical, logistics, and fleet management devices — as well as 3D-capable digital signage — you can safely assume it’s going to cost a lot more than $35. But if it’s compatibility you’re after and price isn’t an issue, this might just be the tiny board for you.